Kansas City, Mo. ? Former President George Bush on Tuesday called late President Reagan “my friend,” saying volunteerism must press on as a nation mourns the death of the man under whom Bush once served.

Speaking at the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service, Bush — Reagan’s vice president from 1981 to 1989 — said a tribute held earlier in the day for Reagan was fitting.

“But I also think it’s fitting that meetings like this, opportunities to highlight the service to others, continue even during this difficult time,” he said to the roughly 1,500 attendees.

Reagan, 93, died Saturday after fighting Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.

Bush, linked with volunteerism since founding the “Points of Light Foundation,” thanked the attendees for their service and helped recognize four companies — General Electric, KPMG LLP, State Street Corp. and Tucson Electric Power Co. — receiving awards for their volunteer programs.